Of Love & Thieves
by AmaryllisLinares
Summary: DISCONTINUED Riku is a lowly thief destined to be nothing more than dirt. Sora is a high and mighty prince with difficulties of his own. They meet and interact in more ways than one
1. The Pearl Encrusted Brooch

Hello, everyone! My gosh, **Of Love & Thieves **got more reviews than I thought it would! Alrighty, anyways, this is the **new**, and hopefully improved, version of **Of Love & Thieves**. It took me a really long time to try and make things make sense, but I don't know if I was successful. Are you ready? Let's get started then, shall we?

**Disclaimer—**I do not own KingdomHearts, FinalFantasy, or any related characters/places.

**Warning—**shounen-ai

Chapter 1 

Destinopolis was charming city, full of houses, shops, and the like. In the center sat the castle, its towers tall and proud. In this castle lived a king, his queen, and their two sons. (Servants and maids lived there too, but they're not really important.)

The eldest son was a noble man with long silver hair and auburn eyes. He was cunning, smart, and skilled in the art of magic. He was muscular, not too heavily built, but just about right. Overall, he was perfect in every way. The youngest in the royal family was a runt. His hair was a mess of chocolate spikes; his eyes were an amazing blue color that changed from navy to sky blue depending on his mood. Most of his skills were average or below, and there really wasn't anything truly special about him, other than the fact that he could make just about anybody smile.

Immediately after you passed through the castle gates, you were in the first district, also known as the nobles' district. Nobles ranging from dukes and duchesses to lords and ladies lived here in large mansions, which were each painted differently with different colors. Many were haughty, but a select few were pleasant.

The second district held all the second-class residents, all the pickpockets, and all the bums. Nearly everyone in this district was greedy. Either that, or they were drunkards. There wasn't one respectable person here.

The third and final district is comprised of shops and stores. Just about anything is sold here at unreasonably high prices.

Our story begins in the first district, the noble's district. It begins with a boy no older than thirteen, a thief. Silently, he walked through the streets, hands in the pockets of his ragged pants. Lords and ladies glared at him as he passed them, dukes and duchesses turned up their noses. He ignored them, snorting as they stared and twittered. He walked straight into the district square. Ladies in frilly dresses were buying gold jewelry, pearls, gems, anything to make them feel wealthier. The thief walked around, stuck his hand out at random times to stealthily take a silver diamond necklace or an emerald studded brooch. The items he took he slid into hidden pockets. He stayed in the square for about ten minutes before slipping away. He sauntered back to the second district where he unveiled his stolen goods and examined each carefully, making sure there weren't any scratches in the gems or the metals.

Little did he know the ladies he had pick-pocketed had noticed their missing jewelry and reported him to the soldiers loitering in the bars.

Soon after he had finished looking over the swiped jewels, the young thief heard the clanking of metal behind him. Glancing back, he spotted two or three guards looking for someone. Most likely him. He pocketed the goods and resumed his walk down the cobbled streets, losing himself in the crowd of people walking to and from the third district. He could hear the guards talking to random people, asking whether or not they saw this thief.

"There are lots of thieves here, sir. Could you try to describe him?" He overheard a villager say sarcastically.

"Uhm, they said he was about this tall. Rags, silver hair, bright eyes."

"Like that guy over there?" The thief froze.

"Huh? Where?" He could feel the guards spot him in the mass of people. Panic gripped him. He could not get caught. So, he did the only thing that came to mind. He ran.

"Hey! Wait! By order of the mighty king, wait!" The thief paid the soldiers no mind. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, which was quite fast. He ran past clumps of people, pushing his way through them or dashing around them. He turned into an alleyway, slowing down just slightly. It so happened that this particular alley led to the next street over. And it also happened that the next street over was teeming with metalheads because of the arrival of the Royal Family.

"Shit." the thief cursed and stopped abruptly.

"Where'd he go!" Looking back over his shoulder, he could see the guards that had been chasing him. _God, this is **not** my day_. He glanced around, looking for an escape route, but with all the soldiers around, he couldn't find one. Taking one last look around, he opened the door of a random carriage and hopped inside.

As he closed the door, he heard a gasp behind him.

"Wh-what are you doing in here? You're not supposed to be here." a small accusatory voice trembled. The voice belonged to a boy a little younger than the thief himself. The boy had bright blue eyes and chocolate brown spiky hair. His clothes were made of silk and lace, and dyed several shades of blue. Lace covered the collar, sleeves, and hem of his cotton shirt. Rich stuff.

"Shhh." the thief hushed.

"I-I-I'll call the guards!" the voice warned.

"Will you just shut up?" the ne'er-do-weller of the city snapped, glaring at the boy behind him.

"Hel—umph!" He clamped a hand over the boy's mouth.

"Shut **up**!" the thief hissed. Shaking, the other boy nodded. Slowly, the bandit removed his dirty, smelly palm.

"Ew. You smell," the boy whispered.

"So what? I don't live a pampered life like those damn princes, okay?"

"Damn prince…? I'm guessing you don't like royalty too much."

"That's right. They've made my life a living hell." The thief settled onto the plush bench opposite the seat the other boy occupied.

"Oh. Well, okay. Erm, what's your name?" The platinum-haired boy stayed silent. "Are you o--?"

"It's Riku," he said shortly.

"Oh, I'm Sora." The other boy replied cheerfully. Riku could feel his smile warm the cramped space of the carriage. "You don't seem like a very happy person, Riku."

"That's because I'm not."

"Well, how come?" Suddenly, the vehicle stopped. A clanking could be heard through the thin wooden door. Riku involuntarily stopped breathing.

"Your Highness, sir. We'd like to check your quarters, sir. There's been a report of a robber on the loose." A muffled voice said loudly.

"There's no one here but me, Tidus." Sora replied casually.

"Very well, Highness. But be careful. I hear this one's quick as a fox." More clanking and the voice stopped speaking. Riku let out his breath and turned on Sora, the prince.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?" Sora asked stupidly.

"Why'd you tell him I wasn't here? **I'm** the wanted criminal. I could've killed you. Why did you save me?"

"Because I wanted to be the one royal that didn't make your life a living hell." Sora said simply, smiling again. Riku snorted, but deep inside, he was touched by this boy's sincerity. He watched the young prince look out the window. He took in the boy's small frame. Scrawny, but he had the potential to be something better. His body could be like Riku's own, well built, muscular, and down right drool-worthy.

"Hey, the coast is clear! You can go now." Sora exclaimed, startling Riku a little bit.

"Why can't I stay here? They're probably still looking for me outside."

"Well, we're almost out of the second district! The nobles will tell on you if I drop you off there." _The nobles will tell on me? What a child_.

"Alright, tell me when we reach an empty corner. I'll get out then." Riku sighed.

"Okie dokie artichokie!" Sora said happily, turning back to the window. Minutes passed. The two sat in silence, one looking out the window, and the other looking at the floorboards. Occasionally, Riku would sneak a glance at Sora, just to try and see that dazzling smile one more time before he left. No use, Sora's face was glued to the glass window.

"Now!" he screamed suddenly. Jumping off the bench, Riku opened the wooden door and rolled out, landing neatly on his feet in the alley. "Bye bye, Riku!" Sora waved at him through the window. Unknowingly, Riku waved back. When the carriage disappeared, he stood there, still waving. After a few moments, he realized his arm was moving and stopped it. _That kid did something weird to me. I swear to God, he changed me somehow._

Three years later, our skilled thief, Riku, was still out on the streets, stealing from the rich to give to himself. After the little fiasco with the jewelry way back when, the young convict had become more careful, more cautious with his dealings. Of course, he had not been caught again afterwards. But after a while, things get boring just stealing from the rich. So he decided to work during the day and steal at night, when the moon was full. He got a job working at a bar as a waiter/chef. His pay was decent and the owner fancied him so much, she gave him free meals and a room in her house. He was grateful to her. Without a place to crash, he'd be forced to roam the streets again. Roam the streets and get attacked by intoxicated thugs…

"Rikuuuu! Are you up yet?" A loud pounding on his door knocked Riku out of his reverie.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up." Quickly, he stuffed his head and arms into a shirt, pulled on a pair of pants, and ran a hand through his shoulder blade-length hair.

"Hurry up! You take too long!" Riku pushed open the wooden door, startling the girl on the other side. She squealed and jumped back. "Riku! You almost killed me!"

"I can't kill you with a door, Kairi. I could hurt you, yes, but not kill you." he replied coolly.

"Yeah, well, either way, it would've been painful." the redhead said happily. She turned and bounced down the rickety stairs. Riku followed with less enthusiasm.

When the two reached the bottom of the stairs, Kairi led Riku to the kitchen where he would assist the cook.

"You'd better do a good job today. We're serving the Royal Household!" Kairi warned, waggling her finger at the silver-haired boy.

"Yeah, yeah. When do I **not** do a good job, Kairi?" Riku shrugged, pulled on a raggedy old apron, and began chopping up carrots.

"You're right. Don't worry about a thing. Just try not to poison the King and Queen, 'kay?"

"Now why would I do a thing like that?" Riku asked, his face presenting a look of pure innocence. Kairi merely snorted, patted Riku on the head, and left the kitchen. The silver-haired part-thief, part-chef resumed his chopping. The main chef came bustling in, crates of fruit in his burly arms. Suddenly, he tripped over his own feet and flew forward. Honestly, he was the definition of "klutz". Grabbing the crates in one arm and the cook in the other, Riku steadied both, placed the crates on the brown tile floor, let the cook lean against the counter, and continued his cutting.

"Thanks." the chef said shortly before expertly peeling apples taken from one of the wooden boxes. Shockingly, the clumsy chef didn't cut himself.

Hours later, there was a knock on old wood. One swift knock was all that was needed for the door to swing open almost immediately. In marched hordes of soldiers, their armor clanking annoyingly as they tried to seat themselves on benches that were almost too weak to carry the weight of the metal. Kairi rolled her eyes at them. Patiently, she waited for the pages to enter and seat themselves. Then came the two princes, one tall and proud, and the other nearly scrawny. And finally, the King and Queen entered, their regal heads placed high in the sky. Curtsying, Kairi flashed them a bright smile and led them to their table nearest the already roaring fireplace.

"What excellent service, is that not so, my king?" the Queen commented, placing her lace napkin in her lap. Her husband merely snorted. Kairi slipped back into the kitchen to get the appetizers.

"Hurry up, you guys! They're already here!" she admonished the cook and Riku, who were sweating profusely after working for three hours straight in a room with one, tiny window. The girl grabbed plates of food and began serving them.

"Just the dessert left to make." the cook muttered, grabbing flour, eggs, and sugar. "Shall we bake a cake?" Riku nodded.

"Yeah, cakes are easy." He began pulling bowls out of cabinets. The chef dumped cups of flour and sugar into one of the larger bowls. Riku broke five eggs expertly with a flick of his wrist into a small bowl. He poured half a cup of oil, one and one-third cups of water, and one teaspoon of vanilla into his egg bowl and whisked away with a fork. Once Riku's mixture was fully blended, he put the eggs, oil, water, and vanilla into the dry ingredients. He mixed the dry and the liquid ingredients to make the cake batter. He sloshed the conglomeration into a pan and stuffed it into the already heated oven. **(1)**

Meanwhile, the King and Queen picked daintily at their meat, and sipped at their wine. The princes were quiet and they, too, picked at their lunches and took tiny sips of their diluted red wine. The scrawny one squirmed in his seat at times, but after receiving several dark glares from his brother, he stopped. Kairi was at their beck and call, getting everything they wanted from the kitchen.

Finally, the two chefs themselves brought in dessert. It was a three-layer cake with intricate designs on the sides and corners. The top had been layered with fresh fruit and whipped cream, then sprinkled with granulated sugar to make it sparkle in the dim light of the dining room. And sparkle it did. From where the King and Queen were sitting, they could see the general outline of the cake and see its sparkling sides. The youngest prince was licking his lips in anticipation, rubbing his hands together, eager to take a bite of that scrumptious-looking dessert.

Then he glimpsed the chef holding the right side of the delectable treat. Silver hair that shone like the sun, eyes that glittered in any type of light, perfect porcelain features that were different from before, but still basically the same. Light skin that was sweaty now, just like before. It was that thief from three years ago. What was his name?

Carefully, Riku and his companion set the cake down in front of the King and Queen. Backing away slowly, Riku couldn't help but inconspicuously snatch a pearl-encrusted brooch from the younger prince. After all, he looked so out of it, so enraptured by the cake before him. Abruptly, the prince's eyes left the cake and settled on Riku, bright blue orbs boring into him, as if saying, _Give that back, I know you took it._ Startled, Riku's own eyes widened slightly. He tightened his grip on the pearl brooch he had taken. The young prince's eyes stayed on him while his parents cut equal shares of the cake for the Royal Family.

Suddenly, the prince smiled, a brilliant, dazzling smile, showing off teeth that were as smooth as the pearls in his pin. Riku narrowed his eyes. Where had he seen such a smile? Such a blinding smile could not have been forgotten. Oh, yes. The royal from three years ago. Sora was his name. Pursing his lips, Riku's gaze took in Sora's still slim form. He was still scrawny, but not as scrawny as before.

"Riku, you can go now. Riku?" Kairi waved a hand in Riku's face. She leaned in close to him and whispered, "Stop checking the prince out." There was a smile in her words, but Riku knew once she had said them that he was, indeed, checking the young prince out. Shaking his head, Riku bowed and turned to walk away.

"Oh, wait! Riku!" the young prince called out. He was half-standing, half-sitting in his chair, his arm outstretched to Riku. The thief rotated on his hip, a questioning look written on his face. The same look was mirrored on the rest of the Royal Family. What on earth was their son doing, chatting with a commoner? The prince blushed. "Uhm.. W-when can I see you again?"

The elder prince's silver eyebrow rose in amusement. His father coughed.

"Ahem, I believe **I** can answer that, Sora." Sora turned to face his father, awaiting his father's decision. It took one word to make Sora start tearing. "Never."

Hurt, Sora excused himself politely, and walked out of the tavern. Brow furrowing in worry, Riku started after him, only to be stopped by the metal-clad knights.

"You heard me, servant," the King said coldly. Flashing him a dirty look, Riku whirled around and sauntered past most of the soldiers before he was stopped again.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded, gesturing at the barricade. "I'm not following your stupid son."

The remaining prince smirked evilly. He glanced at his father, who nodded once slowly. His smirk turned into a malevolent grin. Making his way around the many tables before him, the prince eventually reached Riku, whom of which had been glaring at the platinum-haired royal.

"No, you're not following my brother, but you have something that's his." he said sweetly.

"Something that's his? Like what?" Riku spat, taking a step back when the prince took a step forward. Reaching towards Riku's closed fingers, the prince smiled. It was nothing like his brother's, Riku noticed. It was evil.

"Something like this." The prince pulled Riku's arm out from behind him and pried the fingers open. In the pearly white palm lay a golden brooch studded with pearls as milky as the digits that held them captive. The devious smile still on his lips, the prince took the brooch from Riku's hand and shoved him into the nearest guard, which wasn't too far away.

"Arrest him." the King ordered, his cape billowing behind him as he swept away from the filthy tavern where he had had his luncheon, his wife and child trailing after him.

Kairi, the owner, was speechless. The cook was shaking his head. Both watched as Riku, who was oddly quiet, was taken out of the room.

END CHAPTER 1 

I don't think this is the right way to make a cake, so if you use a recipe like that, you won't get a cake, you'll get a mess.

So how was it? Was it okay? Was it bad? I spent a lot of time trying to fix some of kinks in it, and make it more realistic than before. I had been thinking of making this version of **Of Love & Thieves** really different from the first one, but I decided against it after I read through the vers.2 rough draft a few times.

I'll probably type this story while listening to _The Trax_, so if it gets sad, blame Typhoon! **XD**

Btw, The Trax is a Korean rock band. Its lead singer is nicknamed Typhoon, its drummer is Rose, and the two guitarists are called Attack and Xmas. See? Typhoon Rose Attack on Xmas. TRAX **:D** Yeah, the songs I like from them are quite sad, but really good. So I listen to them a lot

READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! **:D**


	2. You Are Now My Slave

Thank you very much for the reviews, they made me happy that people actually like this newer version. Thanks y'all.

I'm so sorry this has taken so long to update. I've just been really lazy, and haven't been doing anything all summer but eat, sleep, and eat some more.

**Disclaimer**—I do not own KingdomHearts, FinalFantasy, Disney, or any related characters/places.

**Warning—**Shounen-ai and cussing.

**CHAPTER 2**

Riku was shoved into the backseat of a worn-out old carriage that had been used one-too-many times. There were no benches whatsoever in the cramped sitting area and the floor was littered with flecks of yellow, brown, and orange. In one spot there was a large, dark stain, which Riku suspected to be blood. This he carefully avoided. The wood that made the carriage was decaying and rotten, the interior smelled of old socks and spoiled milk, and the wheels the vehicle rolled on were rackety and poorly attached to the main frame. Luckily, the thief hadn't eaten, else he'd have contributed to the rancid smell and the yellow-orange tinge in the wood.

It was a long and bumpy ride to the Palace. By the end of the trip, Riku felt like throwing his guts up, but he held them in and followed the guard with the red plume in his helmet. Behind him, another guard was lightly poking him with his bayonet, urging him to move faster. Riku obeyed this guard's jabs and quickened his pace, nearly running into the guard in front of him. The one with the red feather grunted, turned abruptly to the right, and forced a rusted key into a rusted keyhole. The lock clicked open, the hinges of the door creaked as the wrought iron was opened.

Riku was pushed through the iron bars rather forcefully. He slipped and fell onto the cold stone floor. The guards snickered.

"You stay put 'til your sentence comes 'round, you hear?" the one with the feather said, closing and locking the iron door. Riku merely snorted, picked himself up, and dusted himself off. The two guards left, laughing their metal heads off at something.

The cell they had placed Riku in was no better than the carriage. The stone walls were covered in grime and green moss. The floor had mushrooms sprouting from the cracks, and it, too, was splattered with interesting shades of yellow and brown. The cell contained a dirty sink with which to wash one's hands after using the chamber pot in the corner, a small ragged cot, and a moth-eaten, threadbare blanket. The thief sighed and, dragging a hand through his silver hair, collapsed on the cot. Its hinges creaked and its legs sagged as soon as Riku's weight fell on top of it. Ignoring the bed's protests, Riku folded his arms beneath his head and fell asleep.

When he awoke, he saw a pair of sapphire eyes staring at him through the iron bars of the cell. He glanced nervously at them from time to time, but they kept staring at him, as if assessing him, summing him up. They stared at him, unblinking, through the bars, watching his every move, noting his every twitch and flinch, every blink and breath he took. Sighing, Riku turned over on his "bed" and glowered at the man with the blue eyes. Riku took in his appearance. Blue eyes, spiky blonde hair, and an earring in his left ear. He wore the shining metal armor all the Royal soldiers had on, although his was different. He only wore shoulder-armor and chest-armor. Riku raised an eyebrow at this. The guy thought he was so good, he didn't need much protection. Now the question was: what was he doing here? As if to answer his unspoken question, another guard appeared, holding a cup of steaming coffee.

"Oi, Cloud, your shift is over." The soldier who had been watching the thief shifted, eyes still locked on Riku. "Clouddd," the new soldier whined, nudging Cloud with the toe of his boot.

"Alright, alright." Cloud muttered, waving his hand at the newcomer. The blonde got up, patted his rear free of dirt, and moved so the replacement could take a seat. "Don't fall asleep this time, Tidus." Cloud warned.

"Yeah, I know, I won't." Tidus reassured. Sipping at his piping-hot coffee, Tidus took his time finding a comfortable spot on the stool Cloud had previously occupied. Riku glared at him, his aqua eyes narrowing into slits. Tidus just smiled uncertainly back. Cloud trudged out of the dungeon, leaving Tidus to deal with the fuming thief. The thief watched the new guard sip his coffee, watched him squirm a little bit, and finally watched him fall into a light slumber. Quietly, Riku tiptoed to the iron bars, careful to sidestep the oddly colored stain on the stone floor. Making sure the guard was indeed asleep, Riku reached through the strips of cold metal, trying his hardest to snag the set of keys on the wall nearest the door.

On his first attempt, he failed, missing the keys by mere inches. His second attempt jangled the keys a little. Just a little more, and he'd be out of that nasty cell in minutes. Third try, he missed the key chain entirely, catching instead the disgusting grime on the stone wall. Grimacing, Riku wiped the green-brown filth on his ragged pant leg. On his fourth attempt, he successfully hooked his finger around the metal key ring, pulling it up off the hook and over to where he stood behind the iron bars. Flipping through the many keys, Riku found one whose ridges matched those of the keyhole in the cell door. With little difficulty, he pushed the key in, turned it once to the right, and waited for the click that told him the door was now open. As expected, the rusty metal gears clicked and the iron door swung open a little squeakily. Glancing at the slumbering guard, Riku padded past him and inched open the wooden door leading to freedom, to debauchery, to his life.

Suddenly, the guard ceased his light snoring. Stopping in his tracks, Riku peered over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of his captor. The guard was scratching his blonde head; his eyes were half-open, but apparently unseeing. So, he was still asleep. Riku gave a sigh of relief, letting out his breath in a long, deep huff. Squeezing through the crack between the door and hard stone, Riku finally escaped from the stone cell, only to find himself lost in the maze of stairs and walls. He chose a random staircase to climb. It was a long, winding one. Torches perched on the walls illuminated his path, sending his shadows in front of him, making him jump every time a new shadow came into view.

Eventually, Riku made it to the top of the stairs, panting slightly from the exercise. In front of him was another wooden door. Turning the knob, Riku pushed this door open. Sunlight flooded in, blinding him momentarily. He brought his arm up to shield him from the sun's warm, blinding rays. Eyes adjusting to the change in atmosphere, Riku glanced around, checking to see if there were any guards about. Of course, unfortunately for him, there were. In that one room, there were about four or five guards preventing civilians from entering the dungeons. Thankfully, none were watching the door for escapees. Pots of plants were placed neatly on either side of the room, giving Riku places to hide while he avoided the soldiers. The windows in the room were barred, making the only exit the door at the other end.

Breathing in, Riku dropped to the floor and crawled his way over to the first and nearest potted plant. The plant had huge, green leaves, perfect for hiding in if you didn't have shining, silver hair. So, Riku resorted to crouching behind the big clay pot the plant had made a home in. He observed the soldiers. There was no pattern to their movement; they randomly pivoted on their feet to face the other way. Growling, Riku tried to time this just right. Most of the guards pivoted at the same time, so, while they were turning, all they would see is a blur of color for a moment, and nothing else, not even a silver-haired thief crawling on the floor. In this way, Riku scampered from one pot to the next, crouched near each ceramic container. After several minutes, he finally made it to the pot closest to the door. **(1)**

Suddenly, someone burst through the door, his cape flying as he stomped towards the dungeons. His red, tattered cloak, and shiny, silver armor made him easily recognizable. It was Cloud, the guard from before. He threw the wooden door leading to the cellsopen, crossed the threshold, and disappeared from sight. All eyes were on the open dungeon door, even Riku's. He should've taken this chance to escape from the castle, but, no, he had to watch the empty door. He should've slipped out, scaled the walls, and he would've been done with it, left to lead a normal life. But, if he had done that, we wouldn't have a story, now would we?

"TIDUS! YOU **IDIOT**!" Cloud bellowed, his voice reaching the ears of the guards, Riku, the King and Queen, and even those locked up in the highest room in the tallest tower. "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM ESCAPE! HOW COULD YOU FALL ASLEEP!" Cloud continued scolding the other blonde in the dungeon. There was a clatter, and many hurried steps up the stairs. Jerking out of his reverie, Riku quickly made his way to the exit.

"WHERE IS HE!" Cloud roared. He had reached the top of the staircase. His blue eyes, which were burning with fury, scanned the room. They stopped abruptly, spotting Riku's silver hair. "There." he said quietly, taking a step forward. Glancing behind him, Riku saw Cloud come charging at him. He fumbled with the knob, finally getting the blasted thing open. Yanking the door open, Riku stumbled and fell to the floor when Cloud collided with his backside.

"Dammit," Riku muttered, squirming underneath the older man, trying his best to wriggle free. Cloud's grip was like a dead man's, vice-like and unmoving. He couldn't get out. Cloud clamped a pair of handcuffs onto Riku's wrists, preventing him from struggling as much and from attacking anyone important.

Cursing once again, Riku was lifted off the floor to his feet. He was pushed through the nearest open door, up more stairs, and through five other doors. He was shoved onto a couch situated near an open window, the wind blowing the curtains away from their proper place.

"Stay." Cloud ordered, then left through another door to an adjacent room. Riku sat on the leather couch, fidgeting just slightly. He wanted to jump through the open window, but considering the height of the staircase he was forced to climb, Riku assumed the window was about three stories high. If he jumped with these cuffs on, he'd never make it out alive. But, then again, if he sat there and waited, he might not make it out alive either way.

Cloud came back into the room where Riku sat, jerked him up, and guided him to the door he had just exited.

"Be polite. The King and Queen are in there." Cloud warned, "One wrong move, and it'll be off with your head." He made a gesture of some sort of blade running across his neck. Riku nodded. He understood. Be polite, otherwise be killed. Fair enough. Pursing his lips, Riku walked through the open door to the Throne Room.

The room was dimly lit, candles dripped wax from their posts on the walls. There were no windows in this room, just the honey-scented sticks. On the far wall was the King's Crest, a giant, black heart outlined in red, with crimson, rose-like, thorn-abundant stems inside it, spikes at the bottom of it, and tendrils of black waves weaving in and out of the brambles. Before the crest, raised on a dais, sat the King and Queen's thrones and the King and Queen themselves. Standing on either side of the two thrones were the princes, the younger on the Queen's side, the elder on the King's. Riku kneeled before them, his hands cuffed behind his back, his head bowed down.

The King and his eldest son each quirked a delicate silver eyebrow. The Queen and her youngest son watched the thief with mild interest. The captive rogue kept his head bowed, his silver hair hiding his face, which was trying to keep itself from twisting into a look of disgust at how "polite" he was supposed to be. Finally, the King spoke, his deep, baritone echoing through the dark, empty chamber.

"I've decided upon your sentence, thief," the King told him. Riku nodded, eager to hear what would happen to him. Would he die? Would he live, forced to do the King's bidding? "After careful consultation with each family member, and each member of my council, I have decided you shall remain amongst the living." Riku perked up at this. He would live, but there had to be a catch. Surely the King wouldn't just let him off like that after stealing from a prince?

"However," the King continued, ignoring Riku's jump when he heard he would be left alive, "You will be serving one of my sons until I deem you worthy of freedom." One of the sons? But, which one? Hopefully, he would be serving under the younger one, for he seemed nice and kind, and he seemed to remember Riku from three years ago. The other prince, however, seemed cruel, and unjust. He seemed devoid of sympathy, and harbored only malice and sadistic feelings inside his muscular, tanned body. Riku's face moved as he thought quickly, changing from a soft expression to a hard one as he imagined serving one prince, then the other.

"Would you like me to choose your new master, thief?" the King sneered.

"If that pleases you, my King," Riku replied wisely. He kept his head down, so the King could not see the hope in his shining green-blue eyes. The King snorted.

"Father..?" the youngest prince murmured, his voice barely audible.

"What?" the King snapped, turning his head to face his youngest son.

"Father, m-may I have him serve me?" he asked meekly. His father stared at him incredulously for a few moments, then nodded once. The older prince twitched when he saw his father agree to his younger brother's request. Riku smiled. "Oh, thank you, Father! Thank you!" the young prince exclaimed. He was practically jumping up and down.

"Settle down, my boy," the King laughed, patting the brown-haired prince on his spiky head. The boy immediately calmed down, however, his face was still shining with delight. "Stand, thief." Riku stood as soon as the word "stand" was out of the King's mouth. "My son, Sora, will be your new master as of today. You will obey his every order, and do whatever he wishes. If I find you are not, I shall have your head. Understood?"

Riku nodded. He would oblige to Sora's every whim, but only because he'd lose his head otherwise.

"Good. Sora, why don't you take him to your room now? Show him around?" Sora jumped and skipped over to Riku, uncuffed the thief's hands, and took the ex-thief's forearm in his small fingers. The brunette dragged his newly acquired servant out the door and into the brightly lit waiting room. Squinting, Riku obediently followed his new master, walked faster when he felt the prince tug on his arm.

Suddenly, Sora stopped, making Riku bump into him. The young brunette giggled.

"Look, Riku! That's the garden!" Sora pointed to his left, out the window. Glancing out into the bright light, Riku flinched. As his eyes adjusted, Riku spotted a rainbow of color. Green leaves and grass were speckled with vibrant reds and oranges, mellow blues and violets, and luxurious pinks and peaches. Butterflies and hummingbirds hovered near the colorful flowers, collecting the sweet nectar from the heart of the succulent blooms. Birds chirped their cheerful songs and bees hummed as they worked. The blue sky held fluffy white clouds, floating high above everything else, slowly moving across the landscape at a leisurely pace. In the middle of it all, sat a giant fountain, liquid spewing from the top, splashing everything within a four-foot diameter with crystal clear water.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sora said quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful scene before them. Absent-mindedly, Riku nodded. Never before had he seen such serene surroundings. He didn't know the castle held such beauteous flowers, nor did he know there could be such harmony in one place. It was as if he had stumbled upon a secret paradise that was meant for the eyes of those chosen by God himself.

Riku felt a slight tug on his forearm, which meant Sora wanted him to follow the prince. Reluctant to tear his eyes from the gorgeous scene in front of him, Riku slowly let Sora guide him away from the garden. The two walked down several passageways, each as richly decorated as the last. Windows covered every wall, plush carpets covered the floors, and plants were placed in every available corner. And though each room was adorned with pretty much the same ornaments, none of them looked the same. All of the rooms were different in some way, whether it was the way the windows were designed or the way the flowers were arranged, they were different. The prince and his slave walked briskly through these similar rooms, ignoring the liveried servants who stared at them suspiciously.

"Where are we going?" Riku asked after passing room after room of drapes, carpets, and statues.

"My room," Sora answered, panting slightly from walking so quickly. "C'mon, there's just a little bit left." He guided Riku through a few more rooms and quite a lot of hallways before he stopped in front of a huge wooden door. Turning the handle, Sora pushed the door open, the hinges squeaking slightly as the prince applied pressure to them. The prince skipped into his room and jumped onto his enormous bed. He bounced once, and then sat down on the edge. The prince patted a spot on the luxurious mattress, gesturing for Riku to come sit with him. Hesitating, Riku slowly walked over to Sora's side and sat down, fiddling with the hem of his dirty shirt while he moved. He watched Sora lean closer to him and sniff the surrounding air, and saw his cute little nose wrinkle in disgust.

"Eww, you stink, Riku," he commented and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, making his voice sound nasally and odd. Riku snorted. He breathed in deeply, trying to smell himself without Sora noticing to no avail. He was so used to his smelly, grimy scent, he couldn't detect a hint of any foul odors in his vicinity.

"I don't smell anything," the thief said quietly after sniffing himself several times. Sora giggled, covering his mouth with the hand he used to pinch his nose.

"You smell like dog doodie and week-old trash. That's gross." He screwed up his face like before. "So, now, as your master, I order you to take a bath."

Smirking, Riku lifted his arms above his head in a long, bone-popping stretch. Sora gasped and his face fell when he smelled the disgusting, filthy smell wafting itself away from Riku's armpits.

"Make that a really long bath, with about twenty bath beads and lots and lots of soap."

**END CHAPTER 2**

**(1)** Picture these guards like the ones in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. If you haven't played LoZ:OoT, then they're like robots that don't see anything and move around randomly.

Again, I'm truly very sorry for the long wait. Procrastinating is part of my nature, and that's what I did with this, I suppose. Anyways, school is starting soon, which means I won't be writing as much (like I was writing much anyways). I hope you like this chapter! Stay safe, and keep reading other wonderful stories!

Reviews are greatly appreciated. **:D**


	3. You Wet My Bed!

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the third chapter of **Of Love & Thieves**. I'm actually surprised I've kept this up for so long. I'm glad people like this story, and it makes me want to write more, write faster, and write better. But, unfortunately, I don't know if I can write any better with the limited amount of talent I possess, yet even so, I shall try my hardest:D

I'm so sorry for the extremely late update. I had Homecoming stuff to do at my school(we had a rally where we do skits and dance, and I was a dancer so I had to practice) and I've had loads of homework.

This is a very random chapter. So, uh.. yeah.

**Disclaimer—**I do not own KingdomHearts, FinalFantasy, Disney, or any related places/characters…except for Rosetta. :

**Warning**—Eventual shounen-ai and cussing.

Chapter 3 

After a long, relaxing bath, which included about ten more bath beads than Sora requested, Riku stepped onto the cool marble floor of the bathroom, water dripping off his muscular form. Sora had ordered the servants to scrub him until he smelled presentable. They had scrubbed for two hours straight, scrubbed until Riku's skin was red, but still, the stink would not wash off. So, they left him in a tub full of rose petals, letting him soak and get pruny. Hours passed and when Riku finally decided he looked more raisin than human, he pulled himself out of the lukewarm water. He dried himself with a fluffy towel that was left there by one of the servants who tried to clean him and took in his surroundings. Beautiful marble flooring, intricately cut stone pillars, huge glass windows, sparkling mirrors, and polished sinks adorned the room. Riku snorted. It was a typical rich-people room.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, the ex-thief walked through the hanging beads that separated the main room from the bathroom. His new master sat on the soft bed, awaiting his arrival. They watched each other for a while, Riku standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, Sora sitting cross-legged with his hands on his feet. After a good while, Sora spoke.

"Do you smell good yet?" he asked, leaning forward, trying to catch a whiff of Riku's scent. Riku raised a silver eyebrow, a smirk on his face. "Come here! I have to sniff you to make sure." Sora ordered, bouncing up and down on his bed. Reluctantly, Riku stepped forward. He watched Sora breathe in deeply, watched his nose flare slightly as it took in more air then it was used to.

"Well?" he said impatiently. Sora had been sniffing the air for well over five minutes now. Startled, the prince opened his eyes, plopping back down on the bed after crawling on all fours to get closer to Riku's aura of smells.

"I can't smell anything…" he replied quietly, blinking.

"That's because your servants scrubbed the shit outta me. Then, since the scrubbing didn't work, they left me in rose petals for three hours." Riku snapped. He walked over to Sora's bed and sat down on it. He heard Sora gasp.

"GET OFF MY BED, GET OFF MY BED!" the prince screamed, pushing on Riku's back, trying to shove him off.

"What the--? Why?" Riku slipped off the bed, holding tightly to the loosely wrapped towel around his waist. Sora was patting the place Riku had occupied seconds earlier. His face twisted in a frown, he carefully put his cheek to the damp covers. After a few moments, Sora lifted his head, his brows furrowed in anger, his blue eyes dark and menacing. Riku cocked his head. What was wrong with this kid?

"You … You made my bed wet…." Sora muttered, his eyes glowing. Riku stared at him in shock and disbelief. "YOU MADE MY BED WET! YOU WILL PAYYYYYY!" he roared, jumping off the bed to tackle Riku.

"Oof!" Sora's head hit Riku squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of him momentarily and bringing the two of them to marble floor. Sora straddled Riku's barely-covered waist and began beating at his servant with his small fists. Incoherent shouts escaped from both boys' mouths. One could hear some words like "stop!" or "bed-wetter!" if one listened close enough. Eventually, the babbling ceased, along with the flying fists of fury.

Panting, Sora glared at Riku from his place on the older boy's waist. His arms were at his side, limp and tired from overexerting themselves in an attempt to punish the bed-wetter. Riku's own arms were over his head, protecting his face from harm. Realizing the onslaught was over, Riku lowered his naked limbs and stared at his master.

"What the hell was that?" Sora blushed slightly.

"Uhm… Er… You wet my bed?" he suggested innocently, a big grin plastered to his tan face. Riku stared at him for a while, and then smiled evilly. Noticing the smile of pure evil, Sora gulped loudly. Smiles of pure evil were never good things. Scared, Sora climbed off of Riku and began to run for his life. Riku quickly got up and chased after him. Sora ran into the bathroom, the stringed beads clashing together and tangling. Riku was on his tail, arms outstretched, his face a mask of determination. Sora would pay for trying to beat him up. Oh, yes. He would pay.

Sora ran around the tub several times, dodging Riku's hands every time they tried to grab him. He dashed back out of the bathroom and jumped onto his bed with such a force, his pillows went flying. Unfortunately for Sora, the bed was soft, and soft things are not easy to maneuver upon. Riku ran out of the bathroom, jumped onto Sora's bed, and grabbed his legs, yanking down on them to pull Sora away from the headboard.

"NoOoOoooo! You can't do thisss! I'm your masterrr!" Sora giggled, clawing at his blankets and sheets.

"Too bad," Riku replied. He smirked and straddled Sora. The prince squirmed underneath the ex-thief, struggled to be free of the malicious boy he had acquired earlier that day. Once Riku had Sora firmly in place, he readied his fingers for the attack.

"RIKUUUU! YOU CAN'T DOO THISS!" Sora screamed.

"Yes, I can."

"NO YOU CAN'T! THIS ISN'T FAIR!" He squirmed even more, but alas, he could not free himself. "RIKUUU!"

"This is what you get, Your Highness," Riku declared, malice in his voice. He brought his fingers to Sora's exposed belly and wiggled his fingers, tickling the brunette. Sora burst into laughter, his arms flailing every which way. Riku's smirk widened and he moved his hands up to Sora's armpits. Sora's eyes grew large, and his laughs harder. He gasped for breath, tears streamed from his sapphire eyes, and still, Riku would not stop.

"Ri—" Laugh. "--Ku!" Giggle. "This isn't--" Squeal. "--Fair!" Deep breath and more laughter. The silver-haired boy ignored him, continuing his torture. Sora squirmed and wiggled. His loose silk shirt rode up and his bed sheets crumpled. Riku's not-so-fluffy towel slipped off his slender hips, revealing to the world his firm buttocks.

"OH HEAVENS!" a woman's voice squealed. Riku froze, still straddling the younger boy. Sora continued giggling like a schoolgirl. "Sora! I demand to know what is going on here!" Laughter still noticeable in his voice, he explained to the woman what had happened.

"So, he was just tickling me, that's all." Sora said, pulling down his shirt. Riku climbed off the prince and picked up his towel, rewrapping it around his waist, his cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Oh. For a second there, I thought you two were doing naughty things." The woman winked. Sora sat there looking clueless. Riku blushed, his cheeks turning even redder than they already were. They had probably looked very inappropriate. Riku's towel had fallen off and he had been stark naked, Sora's shirt had ridden up, his belly uncovered, and, finally, the naked Riku had been straddling the half-naked Sora, had been touching him in places he'd never touched anyone, and had fun for the first time in his life. The last didn't really have anything to do with indecency, but it was first for Riku, so he took mental note of that.

"Naughty things? Like what?" Sora asked stupidly, tilting his brown head to one side.

"Oh, you're too young to know about that, Sora. But I'm sure Riku over there knows, judging by the way he's blushing," the woman said slyly.

"Do you know, Riku? What's she talking about?" Sora turned to look at his servant. He was just so cute, with his big blue eyes and his button nose. Riku looked away, his blush deepening just a little bit.

"I don't know anything," he replied shortly.

"Yes, you doo! I know you do! You're hiding it from me!" Sora whined. He grabbed Riku's arm and swayed from side to side, his lips forming his trademark pout.

"Aggh, no, I don't!" Riku exclaimed, trying to reclaim his arm from Sora's grasp.

"Yes, you do!" Sora tugged harder on his forearm. They played a small game of tug-o-war for a few minutes before Sora gave up and let go of Riku's well-muscled limb. Riku flopped onto the bed, since that's what he and Sora were sitting on. Sora had planned that. He had planned Riku's harder tugs, and let go at just the right moment to make him fall back. The silver-haired boy glared at the prince, as if saying, "I'll get you back". However, Sora hadn't seen the heated glare. He had turned around to sulk, his lower lip jutting out and his arms folded across his chest.

"You're a meanie, Riku," he muttered childishly. The "meanie" raised an eyebrow.

"Sora, don't be like that," the woman in the doorway scolded. She waggled a finger at the brunette.

"But he **is** a meanie!" Sora protested, "He won't tell me what you're talking about!"

"Doesn't that make me a meanie, too, Sora?" she asked gently. Sora faltered, his bright blue eyes softening.

"But…You're different. You're you. And he's him," Sora attempted to defend his position, but failed miserably.

"That doesn't matter, Sora. He's a person, too."

"Yeah, Sora. I'm a person, too!" Riku taunted, sticking his tongue out at the younger boy. Sora frowned and turned his whole body away from Riku, looking as if he was about to cry.

"Sora, don't be like that. It's called manners, you know. You can't just go around calling people meanies. It's not polite, and it's—"

"Just not done by royalty. I know, I know." Sora finished, his voice thick. He would've sounded incompetent had it not been for the tears in his eyes and voice. The woman came over and patted Sora's spiky brown head. Then she pulled him into a tight embrace. _Just like a mother and son_, Riku thought. The scene before him made him want to scream. He had never had parents to treat him like this. Never had parents to care for him. They had been killed when he was little, and he had been forced to roam the streets since then. Why did this impolite little prince deserve a family, when he, Riku, had been through so many more horrible circumstances?

Then the answer came to him. Because Sora was royalty. Because Sora was part of the family of bastards who annihilated his parents. Narrowing his eyes, Riku scooted away from the loving pair. He jumped off the bed and began searching for clothes to wear, looking for something to do to keep his mind off of families.

He found a pair of black, tight-fitting trousers and slipped them on. After searching and rummaging through Sora's bureau and drawers, he found a big shirt, hopefully big enough to fit his muscular body. He pulled it over his broad shoulders, smiling when he found it was a perfect fit. Turning back to the intimate pair on the bed, Riku saw they were finished with their cuddling. Sora was wiping away the remnants of his tears, and the woman was patting him on the back, her hand moving in soothing circles.

Sighing, Riku ran a hand through his tangled silver hair, pulling out the knots and kinks. Sora glanced at the older boy, his eyes slightly red.

"Sora, don't you have something to say to Riku?" the woman asked. Reluctantly, Sora nodded. Squirming, Sora turned to face his new slave. Riku quirked an eyebrow, tilting his head to one side. "Sora," She nudged him when the prince didn't speak.

"… I'm sorry for calling you a meanie, Riku." Sora whispered, his voice barely audible. Smirking, Riku leaned against a nearby wall, crossing his arms over his chest in a pose that said he was all that and a bag of chips.

"Come again? I didn't quite catch you, 'Master'," Riku teased. Sora's brows furrowed and he repeated his apology a little bit louder. "Hmm? I still didn't hear you." The prince groaned in frustration. Already he was tired of reiterating his words. Amused, Riku watched the brunette clench and unclench the sheets of his bed in his fists. The woman hissed Sora's name and nudged him again, harder this time.

"I'm sorry for calling you a meanie." Sora said, politely. Riku stared at him for a while, his green-blue eyes boring into the top of Sora's head, burning holes into his scalp, a smirk on his lips. Riku watched Sora fidget and twitch under his gaze. After a good while, Riku spoke.

"Apology accepted. And I'm sorry for tickling you to death." Riku said calmly, the smile gone from his nearly perfect face.

"… I'm sorry for overreacting about my bed…" Sora murmured. Snorting, Riku walked over to where Sora sat on his large, poofy bed.

"That's okay," he said, patting the younger boy's head. Surprisingly, his brown spikes were as soft as feathers.

"Really, Riku? You're not mad at me?" Sora sounded hopeful. The boy in question shook his head, his damp, silver hair flying every which way.

"Of course not. I can't stay mad at my master," Riku reminded the brunette, flopping back down on the bed, arms behind his head. Sora sighed, relieved. The two boys jumped when they heard a giggle.

"That's right, Sora, he can't be mad at you. But if he does get mad, you could tell him to jump off a cliff," the woman said seriously, a faint shimmer in her green eyes.

"Jump off a cliff! Rosetta, that's horrible!" Sora exclaimed. So Rosetta was her name. It kind of matched her. Warm and caring, loving and sweet. But all the while strict and firm.

"I was **joking**, Sora," Rosetta said, laughing.

"Oh… " Sora blushed in embarrassment, "I knew that…" he said shyly. Both Riku and Rosetta broke into peals of laughter. And well, since laughter is contagious, Sora started laughing, too, not knowing the other two were laughing at him.

"Oh! I just remembered!" Rosetta exclaimed. "Your brother wants to see you in his room, Sora," she explained. Suddenly, Sora went quiet. Following suit, Riku did as well, a confused look in his green eyes.

"My brother? What does he want?" Sora asked reluctantly. Slight fear shone in his blue orb and Riku was not oblivious to it. Rosetta shrugged.

"He just told me to come fetch you. He didn't say why exactly." The woman shrugged nonchalantly, apparently missing the stress written on the brunette's face. "I think you should get going, Sora. You know how he is when he's angry."

Nodding, Sora slowly got up and walked out the door, turning to the right in the direction of his brother's room. Riku slowly began to get up, to follow his master through the corridors to the other prince's room, but was stopped by Rosetta's strong arm on his chest.

"You cannot interrupt them," she announced solemnly. Riku stared at the woman for a while, and then sat back down on Sora's gigantic bed. Rosetta and Riku sat in relative silence, neither of them speaking to the other, both waiting for Sora's return.

Sora walked through the empty hallways, occasionally passing a young maid or an old, gray-haired servant. He dreaded going to his brother's room. Every time he went in there, he always came out crying or confused. He didn't want to start crying again in front of Riku, especially over something his brother did. He already felt silly for sobbing on Rosetta's shoulder over something so silly as name-calling. Sora paused in his gait, thumb coming up to touch his lips as he bit the nail worriedly. Realizing his brother would criticize him for an ugly nail, he quickly brought his hand back to his side. He continued his journey to the older prince's room, hoping he wouldn't scold Sora for being late or for any other little thing.

Finally, Sora reached the intricately carved wooden double-doors of his brother's luxurious room. He took several deep breaths to calm his soul and to quell the movements of the madly fluttering butterflies in his stomach before grasping the cold iron handle of the right-hand side door. With his free hand, he knocked softly on the hardwood.

"Come in," a deep baritone voice rumbled through the door itself, sending shivers up Sora's spine. Taking one last deep breath, Sora turned the knob and slowly pushed it open, trembling slightly, his breathing shallow. The door creaked open to reveal Sora's older brother and heir to the throne of Destinopolis lazily lounging on a suede couch, one arm cradling his head, the other limp, its hand grazing the soft, plush carpet of the room.

"Well, Sora, it took you long enough," he muttered almost mockingly. "Come closer," the older prince ordered, and Sora obeyed without hesitation. The young royal could hear the door creak closed as his brother's magic slowly pushed it shut. Over his loud gulping, Sora could faintly make out the click of the lock being slid into place. Glancing back at the door, Sora shivered, then turned to face his brother.

He could see a mixture of cruelty, mischief, and hate in those amber eyes. And when those three ingredients combined to make one emotion in his big brother, Sora was **not** in for a good day.

CHAPTER 3 END 

Was it a horrible chapter? PLEASE REVIEW!

I feel as if the characters are out of character in this chapter. Sora's like .. retarded in this chapter. Or something. I just couldn't get him right.

Do not expect the next chapter up as quickly as this one. My AP classes are killing me, and I barely had time to write this chapter. I'm sorry if it's not of the best quality I really really am. I'm so braindead from all the homework I've been getting and the lack of sleep. I hate Ms Yenter.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN:DDD


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